1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a speaker holder for a speaker to be mounted on a printed circuit board.
2. Description of the Related Art
A dynamic speaker is conventionally known among the types of a speaker. As shown in JP-A-6-178390, a dynamic speaker comprises a diaphragm having a voice coil attached on the back surface, and a magnetic circuit structure disposed on the back side of the diaphragm and adapted to support the diaphragm at the periphery thereof.
As shown in FIG. 8, an insulating ring 122 is attached to the front surface of a diaphragm 116 at the periphery thereof and thereby the diaphragm 116 is easily supported by a magnetic circuit frame 114. A pair of terminal members 124 are supported by the insulating ring 122, and thereby a pair of lead wires 118a drawn from a voice coil 118 are connected or fixed to the pair of terminal members 124.
Conventionally, a speaker 110 is first assembled in a holder 150 and then the holder 150 is fixed to a printed circuit board 102. The speaker 110 is housed in the holder 150 with the front side of the speaker 110 facing in the opposite direction to the printed circuit board 102. The holder 150, as shown in FIG. 8, comprises a holder body 152 and a cover 154. The speaker 110 is put tightly therebetween, and then the holder body 152 and the cover 154 are bonded.
The conventional holder has a disadvantage in that the height of the holder 150 when the speaker 110 is mounted on the printed circuit board 102 via the holder 150 is considerably high since the holder 150 has separate independent structures for retaining the speaker 110 and for fixing the holder 150 to the printed circuit board 102.
The conventional holder has another disadvantage in that the holder 150 has a complex structure since it has such separate sub-structures.
An object of the present invention is to provide a speaker holder having a simple structure and a lower mounting height on a printed circuit board.
The speaker holder of the present invention achieves the object by providing a single structure adapted for both retaining the speaker and for fixing the holder to the printed circuit board.
According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a speaker holder for a speaker to be mounted on a printed circuit board comprising:
a speaker engagement portion abutting the back surface of the speaker; and
at least one leg extending from the speaker engagement portion;
wherein the speaker is fixed on the printed circuit board via the at least one leg of the speaker holder with the speaker put tightly between the speaker engagement portion and the printed circuit board.
The leg is not limited to the one as herein described. As far as it extends from the speaker engagement portion and is adapted for fixation on the printed circuit board, any type of the leg is applicable to the present invention regardless of the shape, the number and the arrangement.
The method of fixation is not limited to the one as herein described. Any method is applicable such as engagement, screw, and adhesive bonding.
Compared with the conventional holder having separate structures for retaining the speaker and for fixation on the printed circuit board, the mounting height of the holder when the speaker is mounted on the printed circuit board via the holder is considerably decreased in the present invention.
Further, the holder is of a simple structure since a separate structure for supporting the speaker as in the conventional art is never required.
A plurality of legs may be provided radially extending from the speaker engagement portion to stably fix the speaker on the printed circuit board.
An end of the leg may be engaged with an engaging hole formed in the printed circuit board to further facilitate the mounting and fixing operation of the speaker on the printed circuit board.
The leg may be deflected in state where the speaker is mounted on the printed circuit board so that the speaker engagement portion constantly exerts elastic pressure on the speaker to strengthen fixation of the speaker and the printed circuit board.
The speaker engagement portion may be adapted to fit into the back surface of the speaker to radially position the speaker precisely on the printed circuit board.
The leg may have a positioning portion adapted to engage with the speaker to circumferentially position the speaker precisely on the printed circuit board.
The positioning portion may be any means as far as the purpose is fulfilled. It may be a positioning pin adapted to be inserted into a sound emitting hole formed in the speaker.